Design of Water-Based Conductive Inks with Enhanced Printability, Conductivity, and Anti-Fouling Ability

Disposable electrochemical sensors are increasingly used in food safety, environmental monitoring fields, etc., creating strong demand for electrode conductive inks. Herein, four kinds of eco-friendly water-based inks were formulated using green polymers shellac (SHL), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sodium alginate (SA) as adhesives and graphite as the main conductive material. The formulated inks were suitable for electrode printing after optimizing the ratio of the adhesives and conductive materials in inks. The adhesion strength and electrochemical performance of the inks presented strong substrate dependence on PET, filter paper, printer paper and camera paper. All the inks showed obvious solid-like properties. The PEG ink had good rheological properties and high stability while maintaining high conductivity. The electrode prepared by PEG ink showed stronger water wettability and anti-fouling ability for typical foulants in environmental samples than those by the other inks. This work provides a sustainable, low-cost solution for electrochemical sensing.